Trump's Surprising Cannabis Plan: Could Weed Actually Fit Into His Tough-on-Drugs Agenda?

As former President Donald Trump eyes a return to the White House, speculation is rising around how his administration might approach the cannabis policies implemented under President Biden. One notable backdrop to this question is Project 2025, a conservative blueprint aiming to address America’s escalating drug crisis.

While Project 2025 places a strong focus on battling the opioid epidemic and drug trafficking, it remains silent on cannabis. Trump’s past comments supporting regulated cannabis use add further intrigue, raising questions about how—or if—legal marijuana can fit into a hard-line agenda against drugs.

Developed by conservative think tanks, Project 2025 is an expansive set of policy recommendations intended for a Republican-led administration. The document identifies the fentanyl crisis as a top drug-related priority, advocating for stronger efforts to curb overdoses, disrupt drug trafficking, and prevent the smuggling of opioids into the United States. The urgency around opioids reflects the massive toll of this public health crisis, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in recent years.

In stark contrast, Project 2025 offers little direction on cannabis, an issue increasingly favored by the American public for both medical and recreational use. Even within conservative circles, there is a growing divide between hardline anti-drug stances and a softer approach to cannabis, particularly in red states where marijuana tax revenues have bolstered local economies. How Trump might reconcile his previous endorsements of regulated cannabis with Project 2025’s staunch drug policies is uncertain but potentially transformative.

Despite Project 2025’s focus on cracking down on drugs, Trump’s past statements suggest he sees regulated cannabis as a viable path forward. During the 2024 election season, Trump aligned himself with the Biden administration’s plan to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance—a shift that recognizes its medical benefits and opens the door to further research.

Trump has stated his desire to see cannabis products regulated for safety and to end low-level cannabis arrests. We must end needless incarcerations and implement smart regulations for safe, tested cannabis products," Trump stated, voicing support for the notion that adults should have access to regulated marijuana without the risk of arrest for minor offenses.

Trump’s stance also extended to support for safe banking measures to help cannabis businesses access traditional financial services—an area where state legalization efforts have been stymied by federal restrictions. For some in the cannabis industry, these statements suggest that Trump may approach cannabis as a legitimate market needing regulation rather than enforcement.

Project 2025’s lack of guidance on marijuana policy may give Trump room to implement reforms that continue down Biden’s path, or even take a new, pro-market approach. David Culver, the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the U.S. Cannabis Council, believes Trump’s administration could align with a stance that allows states to continue regulating cannabis without federal interference.

Unlike the previous administration, which took an aggressive stance on enforcing federal cannabis laws, this administration might have room to take a more neutral or pro-cannabis position, Culver noted. If Trump’s administration were to adopt such an approach, it could allow states to determine their own cannabis policies, much as they do with alcohol.

If Trump does pursue a regulated cannabis industry, it will likely emphasize safety, public health, and keeping cannabis away from minors. This would fit within a conservative policy framework focused on minimizing public harm, an approach compatible with his expressed interest in regulation. Rather than viewing cannabis as part of the “war on drugs,” Trump’s administration could frame cannabis as a health and safety issue, in need of oversight similar to alcohol.

This approach could also appease some GOP base members who see benefits in allowing states to generate tax revenue from legalized cannabis while enforcing strict controls. Red states like Florida, where Trump expressed support for a recreational cannabis ballot initiative, could benefit from federal reforms that leave cannabis policy in state hands while upholding rigorous safety standards.

For Trump’s administration to fully adopt Project 2025’s recommendations, his team would need to balance the GOP’s drug enforcement priorities with the reality that cannabis is now legal for recreational use in nearly half of the states. Project 2025 emphasizes preventing drug use and reducing illegal trafficking, which would align well with a regulated cannabis market that redirects revenues from illicit trade to legitimate businesses.

Furthermore, a move towards a regulated cannabis market could ease pressures on federal enforcement agencies, allowing them to focus resources on fighting the opioid crisis rather than policing low-level cannabis offenses. For conservative policymakers, endorsing regulated cannabis could be viewed as a strategy to reduce demand for unregulated, potentially unsafe products that thrive in the absence of legal access.

If Trump does follow through on his pro-regulation comments, he could establish a cannabis policy that provides for safe access while aligning with a conservative drug framework. By rescheduling cannabis, his administration could open the door to medical research and pave the way for more state-driven legislation, supporting states’ rights—a core conservative principle.

The upcoming administration's response to cannabis reform remains to be seen, especially with Project 2025’s strong emphasis on opioids and drug trafficking. However, Trump’s statements suggest a pragmatic approach that could allow cannabis reform to move forward within the boundaries of a broader, conservative drug policy.

The real question is whether Project 2025’s silence on cannabis will give Trump the room he needs to carve out a regulated, federally accepted cannabis industry while addressing the conservative agenda on drugs.

Should cannabis reform be part of a conservative drug agenda?